Long Time No See
by MaryJane1913
Summary: It's been three years since Hinata saw Naruto. What will she do or say when she sees him for the first time? Oneshot HinataNaruto


Note: This story takes place in chapter 282 (volume 32) of Naruto the manga, and some of the dialogue comes from different chapters of the manga.

There are moments in life that bring back the past. Sometimes it can be a memory that you would prefer to forget, a memory that haunts you in your dreams. And then there are moments like these, the moments that bring back a smile to your face, but then scare you with every piece in your body. For me it is this moment… a moment I had been waiting for three long years.

I had heard for a while that Naruto had returned from his training with Jiraiya, but that is all. Before I could see him, he went off on a mission, and I never thought I would have a chance to see him, until now.

He stands there talking with my teammate, Shino. He's grown so much, no longer the shortest boy in the class. I wonder how much stronger he has gotten. With Jiraiya as his trainer, I wouldn't be surprised at how much more he has grown as a person.

I wish I could walk up to him, but my body is shaking and I can't stop it. After three years, I guess I haven't changed much. Sure, I may have grown and gotten stronger like the rest of my teammates and friends, but my reaction to Naruto is still the same. I can feel the sweat on my forehead and the heat rising in my cheeks. I hadn't felt this way in so long, I had almost forgotten.

I did miss him, especially right after he left. I remember that everything I did became a harder task because I couldn't stop thinking about him. He wouldn't escape my mind. I longed for him, as if I was hungry, but there was no food to eat. Seeing him was a need, and with him away from the village, it became harder for me to live. But I moved on, training as hard as I could with the picture of Naruto's face smiling down at me in my mind.

His smile always brought me joy and confidence.

It was that way about him, a way that everyone started to notice as he proved himself a ninja. But I had seen it since we were children. Since the first time I saw Naruto in the academy, I knew there was something different about him.

No one liked him, a child seen as a pest. Not only did the children in the academy hate him, but for some reason so did the adults all around the village. Still, he always kept a smile on his face, never showing the emotional damage he has inside of him. Although he never shows it, I know that he has pain inside because he's told me.

Me…

I grin, remembering the talk we had before the final rounds of the Chunin exams. He had made a quick stop at the training grounds, where I happened to be waiting for Kiba. When I saw him, my cheeks blushed red and I hid behind a post to hide my face and nervousness. I told him how his cheering for me made me want to not give up and to keep fighting for what I believed to be my ninja way, but I didn't tell him the whole truth. I hid that the fact he was cheering for me and that he wanted me to succeed was reason enough to try my hardest.

But, for some reason his bright eyes wilted and his smile disappeared. "Hey, Hinata, do you really think that?" he asked, "I may appear strong to you, but that's because I act all tough because I'm so frustrated from always failing."

"That's not true," I responded with a smile, "Even when you always fail, in my eyes you're a proud failure. When I look at you I get intense feelings in my heart because you're not perfect. Because you fail, you have the strength to get back up. Because I believe that's what true strength is. I… I think you are an incredibly strong person, Naruto-kun."

He raised his head and grinned at me. "Thanks Hinata." I stayed behind the post as Naruto began to leave for his battle with Neji. "You know, about you, I thought you were a plain looking, dark weirdo…" It hurt my heart to hear him say these words, but he wasn't finished. "But a person like you, I really like."

My whole face turned red, and my heart beat increased as I watched Naruto walk away. It was the first time I knew he had noticed me and the first time I felt that there was hope that my heart would be his.

Now three years later, my heart pounds like it did that day, but this time with nervousness to the point that my legs are frozen to the ground. My breathing is getting heavier and my body is starting to shake.

What should I do?

It's been so long, I don't even know what to say. For a while I thought I had gotten over him as a crush and was ready to move on as friends, but seeing him changes my mind back to how it used to be. When I stared at him in the academy with shy hidden eyes to the day he left my heart sank, not wanting him to leave, not knowing when he would return.

Time had passed by so quickly, but my heart seems to have never moved since I was a child. I've been hiding behind this wall for so long. Why can't I move?

I looked quickly to see that Kiba had made it, and screamed at Naruto, welcoming him back to the village. Suddenly, I moved back to the wall. My heart pounded even harder as every second passed by. I can hardly contain myself.

What should I say? What should I do? What am I doing?

Suddenly, I heard footsteps walking closer to me. "What? It's just you, Hinata," said Naruto, as he peered his face around the wall I was hiding. I turned slowly, gazing at his face only inches away. My eyes widened and my jaw dropped a bit. "What are you doing hiding over here?"

I couldn't control myself any longer. My head felt dizzy and heavy as Naruto stared right at me. My eyes rolled over to the back of my head as I started to faint. "What the?" he screamed, "Hinata, why are you falling over like that!" He grabbed me as I fell over, "Hey!"

Kiba and Shino ran to his side. "Why is it that you always faint when you see Naruto?" screamed Kiba, but I didn't pay attention. All I could focus on was that Naruto was holding me in his arms, even though, I had fainted. I wish I wasn't so panicky, so I could tell Naruto that I missed him and that seeing his face again brings ecstasy to my heart.

And that even though I haven't seen him for three years, I would still cheer for him with all my heart and that I would stand by his side no matter what. And most of all, I would tell him what I've been hiding since the first time I saw him… that I love him…

With all my heart, I love him.


End file.
